


Nothing breaks like a spark.

by RussianSunflower3



Series: Rescue November 2020 challenge by Bonanza [2]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Rescue Bots
Genre: Amica Endurae, Broken Families, Chief Burns is a good father, Day 2, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Gestalt (Transformers), Gestalt Bond, Grief/Mourning, Past Character Death, Prompt - Blades, Rescue Bots November, mentioned death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:48:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27521791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RussianSunflower3/pseuds/RussianSunflower3
Summary: It's been one whole year since Rescue Bots SIGMA-17 landed on Earth and joined the Griffin Rock rescue force.It's an anniversary that calls for celebration! Friends and family gather, and the good times roll.But away from the party, Blades has been keeping a secret.One that might bring the whole celebration to a screeching halt.
Series: Rescue November 2020 challenge by Bonanza [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1996795
Comments: 3
Kudos: 54





	Nothing breaks like a spark.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bonanza](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bonanza/gifts).



> Please read the tags carefully before continuing!

“Congratulations!!!” Confetti and balloons rain down from the ceiling as the rescue bots enter their basement, having been sent ‘on an errand’ but their partners.

It’s evident now, from the mess of celebration and the overjoyed faces of the Burns family, that that had been an excuse for them to set up a huge surprise party. 

It’s not just the main Burns family either! Doc Greene and Frankie, along with Hayley, Taylor, and Woodrow. They hold a banner up between them, obviously painted by Cody and Frankie.

In a mix of blue, green, red, and orange are the words “Happy 1 year on Earth anniversary!!!” Heatwave and Boulder both burst into laughter, though Heatwave may more be laughing at the stupid party hat Kade has been forced to wear.

Chase looks taken aback, surveying the party atmosphere, and tilts his helm as he directs Chief Burns specifically.

“If I may ask, Sir, is this all up to code?” Laughter meets his question from the group, and once Charlie reassures him so, Chase smiles and relaxes into one of their giant sofas to listen to Woodrow’s latest adventures.

Boulder and Graham discuss something with _way_ too many numbers and fancy-science-words with Doc Greene, Frankie occasionally jumping in to ask a question before going back to playing a dance game on the TV with Cody, Dani, and Taylor.

Kade and Hayley have, in the chaos of it all, snuck off. No doubt they’ll be back soon.

“You lose, Dani! Swap out with the next competitor!” Dani laughs as she playfully shoves at Cody, stepping off the dance mat.

“I might have lost, but Blades will avenge me!” She turns, expecting to see Blades eagerly waiting his turn, or hear him make a dramatic comedy speech about ‘honour’ and ‘recovering lost pride’, but her laughter trails off as she realises Blades is on the other side of the room.

“Blades…?” Taylor nudges her in the direction of her partner, giving her a soft, encouraging smile. Thankful, Dani quickly jogs over to the orange and white lump of metal attempting to hide behind a pillar. His rotors were what gave him away. 

Swinging around the pillar, Dani is met with Blades sitting on the floor, knees pulled up to his chassis and chin resting on his arms. He looks _sad_ , so Dani forgoes the loud, cheerful ‘surprise!’ she was going to shout.

“Hey… What’s up, partner? You’re missing all the fun.” Blades jumps at her appearance, just about holding back a yelp of shock. When he sees it’s Dani, he tries to give her a smile. _Tries_.

“Alright, that’s not a standard happy Blades look. You wanna tell me what’s wrong?” The fake smile falls. Blades practically curls up around himself, and speaks quietly, as if his voice would break something.

“No thank you. Maybe give me a little bit? I- I’ll come party, I think, just… Not right now. I’m so sorry! After all this hard work everyone put in for us!” Dani places a hand against Blades leg, a little worried at how _distressed_ he seems.

“Blades! It’s okay!”

“But it’s _not_! It’s- It’s rude!”

“Hey, you know I’d tell you if it was rude. Taking time for yourself isn’t rude. Just join us when you’re ready, ‘kay?”

“... M’kay…” A little hesitant to leave Blades when he’s like this, Dani slowly step away before turning on heel to go back to the party.

And promptly crashes into Chief Burns on the other side of the pillar.

“Gah! Dad!” 

“Oops, sorry, Dani.” He chuckles softly as he steadies her, making sure she doesn’t fall backwards.

“You should hurry. I think Taylor needs ‘rescuing’ from the kids.” Glancing over, Dani can see that Taylor - mid dance against Frankie - is being held down to hinder movement by Cody and Frankie occasionally pushes him too. Gently, just in teasing, but enough to disrupt his attempt to win.

“I can see~. Thanks, Dad! Cody!!!” Dani jogs off to help Taylor, and Chief watches her go. Then, he turns back to what he was doing previously. 

“Hey, Blades. You doing alright over here?” The second Blades looks at him, Chief knows the answer is a no. He sighs, moving to sit next to the helicopter.

“Chase sent me over. Said I might be able to understand? I’m not sure I will, but it’s worth a try.” Blades shutters his optics, leaning around the pillar and sending his amica a weak glare. Unashamed, Chase gives him a wave before turning back to a board game with Graham and Hayley.

Settling back against the wall, Blades flutters his rotors as if he was shrugging human shoulders.

“If Chase sent you, then… I guess it’s okay.” Charlie relaxes a little. Tension drops from his shoulders, grateful Blades is willing to accept his help.

“You really trust him, huh?”

“Mhm. He’s my Amica Endura. Uh- Best friend forever?” Softly chuckling, Charlie puts a fatherly hand on Blades’ side. He would have put it on his arm, but he’s not that tall.

“I get it. So, what did Chase think I could help you with?” There’s an uneasy pause. Blades looks around distractedly, his digits fumbling together as he tries to think of the words to say. He can still hear the party in the background, but he’s dull to what’s actually being said.

“Do you…” He stops. Takes a deep vent. Lowers his voice.

“It hurts. Trying to- Trying to be happy because something really _good_ happened, but.. But actually feeling _sad_ , because… Because… Something else happened too.”

“Ah.” Leaning in, Charlier clasps his hands together.

“I know how that feels. When Cody was born… It was supposed to be another one of the greatest days of my life. And it was! But it was also one of the worst. I lost my wife. It was… Hard to deal with. Here I had this wonderful new son, a celebration of life and new beginnings… But on the other hand, the love of my life - the person I’d known since _childhood_... Was gone. She’d been too sick to survive childbirth. Doctors said it was a miracle Cody made it.”

Contemplative silence hangs between them.

“Cody didn’t have a birthday party until he was 4. It took that long for the joy to overcome the grief. Sometimes I worry that Cody remembers and resents me for it, but I think he understands. He’s a great kid.”

“He really is! I don’t think Dani and I could have gotten over the flying issue if he hadn’t helped!” There’s something bittersweet about that statement, and the tightness of Blades voice on the word ‘flying’ clued Charlie in as to why.

“Still not used to flying?” A long, long pause. Blades looks down at the floor. His rotors hang depressedly limp.

“Groove was always the flier.”

“Groove?” Blades takes a sharp vent inwards, hunching up a little tighter. Charlie has to remove his hand so it doesn’t get trapped in a seam or joint.

“Easy there, Blades. Didn’t meant to upset you.” The calm, soothing tone of his voice must break through what he can only describe as _distress_ and Blades unfurls.

Happy music plays in the background, in direct contrast to their little conversation in the corner. It might be a little insensitive.

“How about we go up to the roof? It’s quieter up there, and I hear the stars are visible tonight.”

“He was one of my gestalt on Cybertron.” Taken aback, Charlie only blinks. That’s… Not an answer to his question. And what is a gestalt? Probably not a horse, like on Earth. In the end, he doesn’t have to ask.

“Oh, umm.. I guess the closest thing to a gestalt on earth would be… Uh, like… Twins! Twins, with that freaky twin telepathy, except a gestalt is made of 5 or more bots.” Blades seems to relax as he talks, hands moving about in gestures nervously. Charlie has noticed it’s a habit.

“Gestalts weren’t that common, but we weren’t exactly special either! Some where as large as _nineteen_ mechs! That seems like a lot of stress, it was hard enough having _four_ other individuals sharing my spark.” 

Charlie knows about that. He asked Chase a simple question about sparks once, and had instead received a four hour long lecture that _included_ spark sharing.

But Chase had only talked about Conjunx, Amica, creation, and co-creation bonds. He’d never mentioned gestalts.

“That similar to a co-creation bond?” Blades gives him an uneasy smile, but there’s warmth behind it. 

“Uh, kind of. But instead of feeling _just_ emotions through our connection, we can- uh… We _could_ \- No, uh… We used to push through and- and talk to each other.”

“You miss them.” It’s not a question, but Blades nods anyways.

“They were there when we had to go into stasis - telling me it was okay, we’d see each other again soon, and, and _teasing_ me that going into stasis meant I’d be the youngest. But then we came out of stasis…” He drops his faceplates into his servos, muffling a cry.

“And they weren’t there!!! They were _gone_! I- I managed to deny it until- Until Optimus told us w-we were the last re-rescue team…!” His vocaliser fritzes out. Charlie pushes himself to his feet, standing in front of Blades aghast.

“When you _came out of stasis?_ You mean exactly one year _to this **day?**_ Blades, what the hell are you doing forcing yourself to join in a party?”

“But it’s the anniversary of when we arrived… When you met you and your family! It’s supposed to be a celebration…” Huffing, Charlie puts his hands on his hips. His brow is drawn together and there’s a slight crinkle of disappointment in his frown. It’s the same look he gives Kade for being disruptive, or Dani for being sassy.

“Now, you listen here. I _know_ grief. I’ve dealt with grief - and not just my own. It takes time, Blades. Time to heal. Time to feel. Time to find your coping mechanisms and start balancing that overwhelming hurt with the good things that grow around us. But right now, it’s not the first anniversary of your arrival here. It’s the first anniversary of _losing those you love dearly._ ”

“But-”

“No buts!” Softening, Charlie puts a hand flat against Blades metal in an attempt to offer some comfort.

“Give yourself some distance, alright? Up on the roof, or just outside, or hell, even the other side of town! Take as much time as you need. Just… Stay safe and let us know if you need company.” Blades shutters his optics. And then, for the first time this evening, a genuine smile spreads on his face.

“Thanks, Chief Burns. I think I’ll do that.” Quickly, quietly, he slips out of the firehouse and heads away, comming Chase to thank him and let him know he’ll be just across the training field.

Sighing, Chief returns to his partners side.

“Wish you could have warned me there, Chase.” Chase raises a hand in greeting, his optics lighting up a little in mirth.

“My apologies, Chief Burns. It was not my information to share, and I trusted you to resolve the situation yourself.” Laughing quietly, Charlie knocks his knuckles fondly against Chase’s leg.

“Alright, you goober. I get it. For now, help me set up the disco ball? It _is_ a party, after all.”

“Sir, I would be honoured.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Question for fun: If you could pick another alt form for the rescue bots, what would it be?


End file.
